Today is a national holiday for the birthday of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Since King was a leader and adviser in the Selma movement, a monument stands in front of Brown Chapel AME Church. Several events honored King in Selma today, including a Unity Breakfast. While federal offices as well as city and county offices closed for the King holiday today, state offices closed in honor of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday.
Very nice post for the day! It is nice to see his famous quote there (we have the more tragic side of the legacy in Memphis). I posted about our celebration here today, too.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photo it really does document. Do people celebrate or is it more a time for reflection?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
C.
I'm not sure if I agree with putting his quote into past tense. Although race relations in this country have come a long way since the Civil Rights movement of the 50s-60s, we still have work to do.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic that MLK and General Lee should have the same birthday. Offices around here were also closed yesterday, but I assumed it was for MLK. I may have to do some investigating!
This phrase "I had a dream" is so beautiful.... and famous, too!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that both birthdays are celebrated on one day.
ReplyDeleteI passed an award to you today, as your blog is always a highlight of my day. Please stop by when you can...
Great photo. What a nice tribute to Dr. King. I also think its interesting MLK and General Lee are recognized on the same day.
ReplyDeleteVery nice photo---simple and strong!
ReplyDeletegreat post. very dramatic pic. I really like the angle. I am a hugh admirer of MLK. A courageous man who stood alone at a crucial time in history.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteSelma has several MLK Day celebrations with dinners, speakers and awards.
Halcyon, you noticed the past tense in the quote! Beneath the quote is a list of Civil Rights martyrs, so I think it is meant to say that those who died "had" a dream. I just didn't show the whole monument, since I wanted a closeup of the MLK bust.
Both King's and Lee's birthdays are celebrated as holidays on the same day, because both birthdays are close together. Lee's birthday is a state holiday, and when King's birthday became a national holiday, it just made sense for the state to use one day for both holidays.